Device for instant cooling of liquids, beverages and food

ABSTRACT

Device and system for producing instant cooling, particularly for lowering the temperature of liquids and beverages contained in bottles. The same device can be used, by means of appropriate positioning of the diffusers in specific trays, for cooling foods. Moreover, the diffusers appropriately positioned in insulated containers act as portable refrigeration cabinet for foods, beverages and any product or material that requires to be preserved at low temperatures. 
     The particular characteristic consists in the fact that the device makes use of a container having parts suitable to be filled with gas. Said container has one part acting as a chamber which stores the dry ice formed by the gas and one part made of sintered metal through which heat exchange is triggered when in contact with the product to be cooled.

The present invention relates to a device and a system for producinginstant cooling of liquids, beverages and food. In particular thepresent invention relates to a device and a system for lowering thetemperature of liquids and beverages contained in bottles and forcooling foods and maintaining them at low temperatures.

As it is known, in the food and beverage field bottles of beverages,e.g. wine, are placed in ice buckets containing part water and part iceto take the wine or beverages to the serving temperature, which is onaverage below 10°.

This effective but obsolete system has several drawbacks. Firstly, icemust be produced with specific machines, which operate with electricityand are therefore costly. In summer months the ice produced is ofteninsufficient to manage the wine and beverage service, and thereforeaction must be taken to procure ice from specific suppliers.

It is also known that the use of ice buckets has bothersome drawbacks,such as the continuous need to dry bottles during pouring; often wateris spilled onto tables or the bottle drips onto the clothing of thoseseated at the table; another noteworthy drawback is that the labelsidentifying the wine or beverage become unstuck from the bottles.

To overcome the drawbacks caused by the use of ice, chillers are usedwhere possible; these are able to lower the temperature of the bottlesin a few minutes, so that they are ready to be served. Although widelyused, this system has the drawback of having a short duration, with thewine or beverage passing from a temperature generally below 10° to roomtemperature in a very short time, as it cannot be kept cool for thewhole of the time required for its consumption.

Moreover, in the catering and banqueting field, there is an increasingneed to maintain foods and beverages at low temperatures, particularlyduring summer months.

When preparing buffets, where foods in general are on display andrequire to be kept cool and there are no available devices, such astrays or containers, that are able to satisfy these needs, it is alwaysnecessary to use ice with the consequent problems that this creates asit melts to water.

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a device and asystem for producing instant cooling, particular for use in the food andbeverage, catering, banqueting and food transport sectors having theparticular characteristic of maintaining and controlling the lowtemperature for the whole of the period necessary.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide adevice and a system for producing instant cooling and for maintainingthe low temperature that can be used in different places where necessaryas it is easy to transport, unlike chillers, which owing to theirstructure are not portable.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device and asystem for producing instant cooling and maintaining the low temperaturewith control and management of the temperature required by means of agas dosing device with the aid of an electronic control capable ofintroducing the quantity of gas required for this purpose.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device and asystem for producing instant cooling and maintaining the low temperaturewith immediate availability, and little or no preparation in advancerequired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device and asystem for producing instant cooling and maintaining the low temperaturethat is environmentally friendly.

This aim, and these and other objects, which will be more apparentbelow, are achieved by a device for cooling beverages and food which ischaracterized in that it comprises a container provided with a cavityand with a storage chamber for a liquid gas which is transformed intodry ice when in contact with air, said chamber facing on said cavity andbeing sealed toward the interior of the container by a diffuser made ofporous sintered material capable of releasing the old transmitted by thedry ice present in said chamber.

In practice the device of the present invention is provided with onepart acting as gas container for a gas which is transformed into dry iceand one part made of sintered metal or heat insulating material suitableto absorb the low temperature produced by said gas, thereby graduallyreleasing over a period of time, through contact, the low temperatureproduced by the dry ice placed in the containers sealed thereto, andmaintaining the product at the desired temperature for a long time. Thecavity is normally shaped so as to properly house the object to becooled, e.g. a bottle or a food container. The device can than berefilled with gas at any time according to the needs and requirements ofthe user thereof

Preferably, the device for cooling beverages and food according to thepresent invention comprises an inlet valve for refilling said chamberwith said liquid gas.

According to a first embodiment of the device for cooling beverages andfood according to the present invention, said container is provided witha cavity that has a substantially cylindrical shape suitable for housingbottles.

In such a case, said container preferably comprises a plurality of saidchambers circumferentially positioned around said cavity.

According to a second embodiment of the device for cooling beverages andfood according to the present invention, said container is substantiallyflat and comprises a plurality of diffusers facing toward its interior.

In such a case, said container is preferably suitable to be housed in alid for cooling food and maintaining it at low temperatures.

In general, in the devices for cooling beverages and food according tothe present invention the chamber and the corresponding diffuser arepreferably shaped so as to be suitable to be housed inside containersfor transporting foods or beverages in general.

In a further aspect, the present invention also relates to a system forcooling beverages and food, characterized in that it comprises a deviceas described herein.

Preferably, the system for cooling beverages and food according to thepresent invention comprises a gas-containing refilling bottle connectedto said device thorough a refilling line. In such a case,advantageously, said refilling line is connectable to an inlet valve ofsaid chamber.

Advantageously, in the system for cooling beverages and food accordingto the invention, the gas-containing refilling bottle is connectable toa plurality of devices through a dispenser; preferably, said dispenseris provided with solenoid valves which control the pressure and amountof gas delivered.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be moreapparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusiveembodiment of the device according to the invention, shown by way ofnon-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view a system according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a detail of a first embodiment of thedevice of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the device ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a detail of a second embodiment ofthe device of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the device ofthe present invention.

With reference to the figures, the system according to the presentinvention, indicated as a whole with the reference numeral 1, comprisesgas distribution lines 5, which appropriately connected to a bottle 2containing liquid gas, allow the introduction of gas into the containers8.

Preferably, the passage of the gas toward the containers 8 is managed bya dispenser provided with solenoid valves 4, which appropriately controlthe pressure and dose of gas.

The gas is conveyed into chambers 6 specifically housed in thecontainers 8, 80 according to the use required. In case of a systemprovided with a multiple dispenser as in FIG. 1, the refilling of theindividual containers 8 can be managed separately.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, in a first embodiment of the device 3according to the present invention, the container 8 has one part thatacts as a chamber 6 to for storage of the gas transformed into dry ice.The gas is introduced by an appropriately dimensioned inlet 9 untilcomplete or partial filling of the chamber 6. The chamber 6 is closed onone side by a thickness of sintered metal or insulating material 7appropriately sealed to the chamber 6 which being porous slowly releasesthe cold transmitted by the dry ice stored in the chamber 4.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the container 8 is provided with acavity 81 that has a substantially cylindrical shape and which issuitable for housing bottles. In such a case, the container 8 preferablycomprises a plurality of chambers 6 circumferentially positioned aroundsaid cavity 81. Preferably, the assembly of the container 8 is such thatthe chambers 6 can be removed for e.g. refilling and then put again inplace. Alternative embodiments in which the chambers 6 are fixed to thestructure of the container 8 in a non-removable manner are alsopossible.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, in a second embodiment of the device 30according to the present invention, the container 80 is substantiallyflat and comprises a plurality of diffusers 70 facing toward itsinterior. The diffusers 70 appropriately filled with gas are housed inspecial seats in the base of a tray 80 which can be used immediately tomaintain foods at low temperature according to need. The same diffuser70 appropriately filled with gas can be housed in the lid 10 of aspecial container for immediate use suitable to transport foods andbeverages, with the object of maintaining the content at lowtemperature.

Operation of the device according to the present invention is asfollows.

When requiring to cool a bottle containing e.g. wine or beverages ingeneral, the user inserts the container 8 into the system of FIG. 1. Byoperating a specific button the system introduces a certain quantity ofliquid gas, which is immediately transformed into dry ice, into thechambers 6 of the container 8 through a suitably dimensioned inlet 9.The containment chambers 6 of the container 8 have the task ofmaintaining the dry ice stored until complete release through theinsulating material or sintered metal diffuser 7 which is in contactwith the bottle inside the cavity 81 and lowers its temperature until itreaches the desired value.

Due to the outer coatings, the container 8 maintains the low temperaturefor a long time and once heat exchange has been exhausted it can beimmediately re-used, by repeating the previous procedure.

The system according to the present invention as shown as a whole inFIG. 1 appropriately housed in a specific cabinet can be easilytransported to the places required with the aid, e.g., of wheels mountedon the base of the container cabinet.

In an alternative embodiment, the device 30 allows use of the container80 for cooling and maintaining at low temperature foods placed on saidcontainer shaped as specific trays 80, which due to circumstances andcharacteristics must be maintained at low temperature for consumption.

Another possible application according to the invention provides for useof the container 80 which specifically placed in the lid 10 or insideportable containers for foods, allow the foods or beverages to bepreserved at low temperatures and facilitate transport thereof,particularly during summer months.

The device and the system thus conceived are susceptible to numerousmodifications and variants, all falling within the inventive concept;moreover, all details can be replaced by other technically equivalentelements. In practice, the materials employed, and the dimensions andcontingent forms, can be any according to requirements and to the stateof the art.

1. A device for cooling beverages and food, wherein it comprises acontainer provided with a cavity and with a storage chamber for a liquidgas which is transformed into dry ice when in contact with air, saidchamber facing on said cavity and being sealed toward the interior ofthe container by a diffuser made of porous sintered material capable ofreleasing the old transmitted by the dry ice present in said chamber. 2.The device for cooling beverages and food according to claim 1, whereinit comprises an inlet valve for refilling said chamber with said liquidgas.
 3. The device for cooling beverages and food according to claim 1,wherein said cavity has a substantially cylindrical shape suitable forhousing bottles.
 4. The device for cooling beverages and food accordingto claim 3, wherein said container comprises a plurality of saidchambers circumferentially positioned around said cavity.
 5. The devicefor cooling beverages and food according to claim 1, wherein in thatsaid container is substantially flat and comprises a plurality ofdiffusers facing toward its interior.
 6. The device for coolingbeverages and food according to claim 5, wherein said container issuitable to be housed in a lid for cooling food and maintaining it atlow temperatures.
 7. The devices for cooling beverages and foodaccording to claim 1, wherein said chamber and the correspondingdiffuser is suitable to be housed inside containers for transportingfoods or beverages in general.
 8. A system for cooling beverages andfood, characterized in that wherein it comprises a device according toone or more of the previous claims claim
 1. 9. The system for coolingbeverages and food according to claim 8, wherein it comprises agas-containing refilling bottle connected to said device thorough arefilling line.
 10. The system for cooling beverages and food accordingto claim 8, said refilling line is connectable to an inlet valve of saidchamber.
 11. The system for cooling beverages and food according toclaim 9, wherein said gas-containing refilling bottle is connectable toa plurality of devices through a dispenser.
 12. The system for coolingbeverages and food according to claim 11, wherein said dispenser isprovided with solenoid valves which control the pressure and amount ofgas delivered.
 13. The device for cooling beverages and food accordingto claim 2 wherein said cavity has a substantially cylindrical shapesuitable for housing bottles.
 14. The device for cooling beverages andfood according to claim 2, wherein in that said container issubstantially flat and comprises a plurality of diffusers facing towardits interior.
 15. The devices for cooling beverages and food accordingto claim 2, wherein said chamber and the corresponding diffuser issuitable to be housed inside containers for transporting foods orbeverages in general.
 16. The devices for cooling beverages and foodaccording to claim 3, wherein said chamber and the correspondingdiffuser is suitable to be housed inside containers for transportingfoods or beverages in general.
 17. The devices for cooling beverages andfood according to claim 4, wherein said chamber and the correspondingdiffuser is suitable to be housed inside containers for transportingfoods or beverages in general.
 18. The devices for cooling beverages andfood according to claim 5, wherein said chamber and the correspondingdiffuser is suitable to be housed inside containers for transportingfoods or beverages in general.
 19. The devices for cooling beverages andfood according to claim 6, wherein said chamber and the correspondingdiffuser is suitable to be housed inside containers for transportingfoods or beverages in general.
 20. A system for cooling beverages andfood, wherein it comprises a device according to claim 2.